Belarus leader: Parliamentary elections should be democratic

Belarus' parliamentary elections will be held on September 11

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MINSK, August 30. /TASS/. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko believes that real professionals, regardless of their political beliefs, should be elected to Belarus’ new parliament. He made this statement on Tuesday at a meeting with the leadership of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) mission for the observation of the Belarusian parliamentary elections.

"I’m interested in real professionals to be elected to the parliament, no matter who they are by their political views", Lukashenko said. According to him, the previous Belarusian parliament members were professionals and patriots who valued their country. "Political beliefs should contribute to the development of the country", the president said.

Lukashenko said that his main tasks in the organization and conduct of the parliamentary elections to be held in the country on September 11, included prevention of the country’s destabilization, securing the election campaign in accordance with the main democratic standards.

"Safety, honesty and integrity is the main task of the president. So I will do everything to organize the elections in such a way so that our country remains the same open, friendly, honest and safe place," he said.

"We do not want elections to destabilize the country," Lukashenko said.

Special coordinator of the OSCE short-term observer mission at the elections to the House of Representatives (the lower house of the Belarusian parliament) Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Kent Harstedt said the Belarusian Central Election Commission has established a high level of cooperation with the mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). He also said that the invitation of the European observers to the current elections was important.